Mary

September 1

Matthew 2:1-12

Wise men from afar

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, wise men (Magi) from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

When King Herod—who ruled Judea—heard this, he became worried. He quickly called together the chief priests and teachers of the Law and asked them where their King was to be born.

“In Bethlehem,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet wrote; ‘Out of you, Bethlehem, will come a ruler who will be a Shepherd for My people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the wise men to a secret meeting and asked them when exactly they had first seen the star.

What made the Magi follow the bright star?

What do you think made this group of wise men leave their homes and travel for weeks and months in the hope of finding a baby? And even if they did find a baby boy, how could they be sure that he was the one who would become a great king?

God had put a seed of expectation in their hearts—a hope that a mighty ruler would be born in their lifetime. Then one night, while looking at the stars, they saw it—a light, brighter than any star they had ever seen. They realized that this was the sign they had been waiting for; the sign of the Mighty King. Then the star started to move across the sky, and by faith they followed it, trusting that it would lead them to the newborn King.

Jesus, the bright morning star, is our sign of hope as He leads us to God. We can only find true joy when we, like the wise men, decide to follow Jesus the Light of the world.

Verse for today

And we have the word of the prophets … and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19